Wheelchair-bound Mary Thomson used to have to rely on her partner to help her get in and out of her house but now she can easily manage by herself following some clever remodelling of her property.

After a joint visit by East Ayrshire Council’s Social Work Department and a Grants Officer, a referral was sent to Shire Housing Association, providers of the East Ayrshire Care and Repair Service, to work out a better way for Mrs Thomson to enter and exit her ground floor flat in Newmilns. The entry to her property was on a side elevation and the common pathway was narrow and had a steep gradient.

A site visit with a contractor was arranged and it was agreed that Mrs Thomson’s front spare bedroom window could be transformed into a set of French doors, from which a new pathway could be created leading to the public pavement with virtually no gradient. The work was carried out very quickly and Mrs Thomson said: “I was completely satisfied with all the assistance, guidance and works from start to finish. A job well done!”

This is just one of the success stories from a very long list of homeowners who have used the Care and Repair Service delivered by Shire Housing Association. East Ayrshire Council has supported the service for over a decade through funding which helps to make vulnerable and elderly people living in owner/occupied and rented accommodation feel safer. The free and confidential service is available to home owners over 60 or people who are registered disabled. Private tenants may also qualify when they are not the responsibility of a landlord.